It’s Official: Boehner Pushing Amnesty

Worst of Three Worlds! House Judiciary Rep. Bob Goodlatte has come out of the closet as an amnesty supporter. Of course, Goodlatte wants legalization, not citizenship–or rather, not a “special path” to citizenship. But he would apparently still legalize more or less the entire illegal immigrant population. Traditional amnesty advocates would clearly jump to accept the plan. …

Goodlatte seems to be hoping he can bring along conservatives by claiming his proposal isn’t as bad as the Senate’s massive bill (and, implicitly, by suggesting it would be better for Republicans by delaying the day when all those newly legalized immigrants could register and vote Democratic). Never mind that it’s the worst-of-both-worlds for the GOPs–actually, the worst of three worlds: It (1) creates a huge incentive for further illegal immigration–’Look, they got to stay legally’–while (2) expanding the Democratic electorate in the long run while (3) giving Dems an issue (the denial of citizenship) to use to keep winning the Latino vote in the short run. …

It’s pretty clear that Speaker Boehner approves the Goodlatte initiative, as my colleague Neil Munro suggests.*** Whether Boehner is pushing this lowest-common-denominator amnesty because he really wants to pass a bill or because he merely wants to make a show for Latinos and lobbyists to demonstrate that he’s trying isn’t clear. Here’s hoping it’s Kabuki. Even if it isn’t, of course, a majority of Boehner’s caucus might not be fooled. …

P.S.: The final hurdle to a total leadership sellout on amnesty would require Goodlatte to fudge on his earlier argument that “the border has to be secure” before any legalization. His recent rephrasing of the demand–that enforcement must only “be up and operating”– is a good first step. (You could interpret that phrase to only require that, say, a new E-Verify system be operating in a few companies.) Suggested further fudge: Require only a “pathway to a secure border”! Hey, nobody will notice. …